Personal video recorders (PRVs) such as provided by Tivo and Replay, are a relatively recent development compared with the older tape-based video cassette recorders. PVRs record broadcast video data in a proprietary, compressed video format based upon a standard encoded, audio-visual, digital, compressed format, e.g., MPEG-2, and provide a convenient way to time-shift a broadcast video program. Unfortunately, conventional PVRs are not portable, and thus do not provide a convenient way to “place-shift” (permit recording and viewing recorded broadcast video programs in alternate locations).
Accordingly, a first object of the present invention is to provide a low-cost portable playback device for reproducing compressed digital information at a time and a place different from the time and place of the original video reception.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a portable playback device configured to reproduce compressed video information recorded by a PVR for viewing.
These and other objects of the present invention are discussed or will be apparent from the detailed description of the invention.